How i fell nose first into comics in 2012...

Longtime avid gamer, fell in love with comics this summer...

So I hadn't read a comic since i was like 7 when my uncle was heavy into Spawn, and my uncle was my hero so i read. besides the occasional Archie in passing, i wasn't into comics.

but...

after watching G4TV's coverage of comic-con this summer, and hearing about DC's New 52, and seeing joker with his face cut off (joker has always been my favorite character in entire world of comics, but i've always been more of a distant fan of marvel) i HAD to check out DETECTIVE COMICS and i was hooked, then I read SUICIDE SQUAD (Harley Quinn... need i say more?) and heard the controversy with RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS...I was hooked.

Jason Todd is the epitome of what I look for in a story: real, conflicted, fueled by anger and revenge, hurt about his past... but still wants to do good and be appreciated for his contribution... I can relate way to deeply. I totally go for anti-heros in comics. Can't get into the eternally unblemished good hero, i can't relate and don't care (superman always been my most loathed comic book character, now after becoming a comics fanatic, its Captain America)

So now Wednesday is my favorite day of the week, im reading alot of comic and some of them oldISH (nothing pre-90s) but alot of currents. Right now I'm most heavily following RED HOOD AND THE OUTLWAS, DETECTIVE COMICS, ULTIMATE COMICS: X-MEN, AVENGERS VS. X-MEN arc, and reading the old PREACHER comics. Soon to be getting into the new X-FORCE, AGE OF APOCALYPSE comics, but i'm reading the original age of apocalypse arc to see how the universe got that way, and TRYING to read HOUSE OF M, but i keep getting distracted

Favorite DC characters: 1)Jason Todd/Redhood 2)Joker

Favorite Marvel: 1)Scarlet Witch 2) Gambit (was my favorite marvel character since childhood 2nd in comics only to The Joker) 3) Deadpool 4) Cable (after seeing him in X-SANCTION leading up to AVX... prior to that, i had never heard of him) 5)Quiksilver...poor poor Pietro... :-(

Most Hated Characters: 1) Captain America 2) Superman 3) Cyclops (used to by my 3rd fav after Gambit, till i realized he was an authoratarian, oppressive dick.

LOOKING FOR COMICS AND ARCS TO FOLLOW!!!

PLEASE GIVE SUGGESTIONS!!!!

Welcome buddy! I am also in a similar boat to you except I lean more towards Marvel (favorite is the ol' web head!) And I think you should give the new take on Venom a chance. I am not familiar with the Red Hood except for the animated movie and that was killer! Venom is no longer Eddie Brock he is Flash Thompson! Also he is no longer a villain but a hero deployed by the army. There is a constant dialogue of internal struggle for Flash. He is fighting back all the rage he has developed over the years from an abusive and drunk step father and a mother who stood by and watched the abuse happen. It seems like Jason Todd is fueled by his anger while Flash is constantly trying to suppress his in lieu of having the symbiote take over. The first run of it just ended and a new creative team is taking over and this is a perfect jumping on point!

@Phandemic: thanks for the suggestion! ima have to check it out

yea i only know Eddie brock as venom, i recently read an old limited series Venom: Dark Origin, was a very good read, but I'm going to have to check out Flash Thompson and his whole ethos and what he brings to the character.

THANKS AGAIN BUD!!

I recommend Stormwatch and I, Vampire. Check out Irredeemable in passing.

@gnashingrabbi No problem man, gotta help out wherever we can. The world of comic is so huge! My bank account has taken a real beat down since I got into it.

Same thing happened to me last year. Like 600 issues later - I am loving being back into comics. If you like Joker make sure you start reading Batman by Scott Snyder. His work has been amazing and he's about to write THE Joker story (starting after the #0 issues next month). If you like Gambit - he just had a comic come out this month. If you want an awesome Harley Quinn story - dig up Gotham City Sirens in the trades.

@sesquipedalophobe: i haven't heard much about stormwatch, but i read a lil blurb about it in passing, some unknown force is making me apprehensive about reading it, but with a genuine life-form recommendation i believe i can venture to find out whats in-store, and i read like the first 5 or 6 I, Vampire comics, seems to be a good series, i like the character dynamics, the girls rokks, but it was developing too slowly for me and it's hard to invest monetarily in series I felt kinds kept pushing back the climax/confrontation becuase they knows its good and want to you spend... idk if thats what they were doing, and i'm not tryna bash, i just felt like I wanted more bang for my buck, but the characters i was totally pleased with. ... Thanks for the recommendations!! totally gonna check into stormwatch and irredeemable

@djotaku yea i've been amassing the batman series but not reading them yet, as i've been busy with other stuff in life, as well as other comics and the new Rachel Maddow book i've been reading, I have some trepidation about that series, i read the first one and wasn't crazy about it, i was more into the Detective Comics for a while but, it's gotten kinda sloppy to me lately. but i'm definately going to be catching up on the Batman series you suggested soon since i hear joker's "rebirth' is coming... can't wait!!! thanks! also do you know if the joker run will be in other bat comics or just the main Batman series?

@gnashingrabbi: Yeah, TEC got really sloppy. But Layman (of CHEW) is going to be taking over and I'm excited about that! Batman is a slow burn - I really liked issue #1, but each issues just ratcheted up the insanity. Definitely Check it out. Also, the Joker story will spill over into all the other Bat-books (except Batwoman and Batman Inc), but Snyder said you dont' need to read them if you don't want to.

@Phandemic:

my bank account is also suffering after getting into comics i was spending 20 a week when i first started back in june now its like 40 to 60 a week

@JayMar89 Haha word! Comics, not just a hobby, a lifestyle